Ophthalmic mounting



1950 E. M. SPLAINE OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING Filed Dec. 24, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

EDWARD M SPLAINE.

ATTOIZ fiatenteci @ct.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING 1 Edward M; Spla'ine; Southbridge, Mass, assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass, a-voluntary association of Massachusetts Appii'cati'on' ficceni'ber' 24, 1947, Serial No; 7 93,609

3 Claims. (o1. ss n invention relates to improvements mophthalmic mountings and particularly to novel strain absorbing means for supporting the temple members of such mountings.-

The principal-object of this invention is the provision ofi an ophthalmic mounting with novel meansfo-r imparting greater resiliency-to itsterri ple supporting members.

Another objectis theprovisionin anohh-thal mic mountingofimproved means for absorbing stresses imposed upon atemple member; thus preventing possible damage or breakage to the mounting.

Another object is the provision in c'vph i'h-al micmounting of temple members attached to the lens supporting structure by a novel -pi i otai arrangement adjacent its hinge connection; said attachment having resilientcharacteristics whereby additional fiexiloi-lity' isattained i-n-th'e structure.

Further objects are to provide; a mariner ashereinafter set forth; an ophthalmic mounting which issimple: inits construction and-- arrangement, strong, durable, thoroughly eiiicient i its use; readily assembledand comparatively e'co nom-ical to manufacture;v

Other objects and advantages or theinvention will become apparent ironithe": foliowing do scripti'on takeninconnectionwitl-rthe accompanyin g drawing gin which,

Figure L is a t-rent elevation of a an ophthalmic Figure 3-- isa-iragmentary sectional view taken Figure i is-a fragmentary sectional= View taken on line 4 4 of Figure 2; and:

Figure 5 is a. fragmentary plan View illustrat i'ng the resilient characteristics of one of that-em ple': supporting. connections.

It iscommon knowledge that ophthalmic mountingsof theclass hereirr shown and described are: often subj ectedi toboth: various degrass or stress bythe wearer of: the: mounting; particularly whenthemounting is in the process of being. placed: in position on the face ofth'e wearer or removed therefrom-. The average wearer-of such an ophthalmic'mounting ,not being familiar with the-'- inherent characteristics of metalsor non-metallic materialsused inthemanufactureof themounting, is sometimes un consciously inclined to handle the mountin in a roughmanner, generally resultingin d mags or breakage necessitatingnumerous repairs or- 2 replacements of parts" In the present construcmen it i's desired to"- obviate some of the undesirable features necessitating costly repairs by pro' viding a novel stress absorbing attachment for the temples of ophthalmic mountings whereby the wearer in donning or removing the mounting m'a'y unknowingly spread thetem'ples beyond their normal limit wi-tl r the attachment absorbing the excessive stress imparted to the temples and thereby preventing damage to the temple members or to the lenses.

This is' accomplished by providing temple sup'= porting members shaped substantially to follow, only the upper contour edges of the lenses and spaced slightly to the rear of the lens holding The members have one end fixedly sc cured to' the supporting structure adjacent the bridge member and are pivotally connected to the: rims at the temporal reg-ions thereof. Pres sure or strain exerted upon the temples willcause the pivoted; temporal connections to act in the manner of fulcrums and thus resiliently assist in absorbing and: cushioning any strain imposed upon the temples and prevent such strain from being. transferred to the lenses or to other parts of the structure.

Referring more particularly tothe drawing wherein like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the-several views, the ophthalmic mounting includes a' pair of lenses 5 carried by a supporting structure or frame 6. The sup porting structure consists of a mainbridge momber i havingsoldered or otherwise fixedly secured thereto a pair of spaced rims 8 in which lenses-5 are adapted to be located and retained" by conventional means; In the present construction there is shown a: peripheral ridge portion" or bevel 9 (Figure 3) formed around the entire'pe'-' riphery of the lenses 5- and' adapted to' reside w-ithin a' V=groove t0 formed on the inner surface of the rims- &- with each rim 3- being mounted completely around the lensand split in the'nasa'l vicinity to facilitate assembly, the ends thereof being joined by suitable means such as pins}. screws or'rivets I l (Figure 2-) adapted to extend through concentric openings in small lugs [2 formed adjacent the abutting ends of the rims 3. To conceal this connection a decorative plate or shield is is adapteol tobemountedin any suitable manner over the front thereof.

Theusual' conventional-nasal: pads I i are sup: ported by an auxiliary bridge-member I5 which is fixedly attached to the under surface oi the main bridge memberfl; and forming a part the of being? shaped to conform: substantially there with, and having spaced downwardly projecting end portions 56 fixedly connected to the rim lugs [2. The end portions [6 serve to carry curved guard arms ll, the arms ll having one end soldered or otherwise immovably attached to the portions E3, the other end of the arms I! having adjustably mounted thereon the nasal pads l4.

Fixedly attached to the rear surface of the frame in the vicinity of the junction of the main bridge member 1 and rims 8 are one end of a pair of spaced transversely disposed temple supporting members or arms l8, each arm I8 adapted to extend along and shaped to follow substantially only the upper contour edge of each lens 5 and spaced slightly to the rear of the rims 8, thereby being comparatively inconspicuous when viewed from the front. Each arm I8 terminates in an outwardly and rearwardly extending end portion l9 supporting one end of a temple member which is movably secured thereto by means such as hinge 2 l.

Formed on the rear surface of each rim 8 in the temporal regions of the mounting is a rearwardly projecting lug or shelf 22 having a vertical opening therein, the shelf 22 extending slightly below the temple supporting member [8. A pin 23 is adapted to be located in the lower surface of the member l8, and projects downwardly through the opening in the plate 22 being headed over at its lower end, as shown in Figure 3, the pin also being of substantially smaller diameter than the opening, thus forming a fulcrum connection.

The arms 18 are substantially thinned, flattened or otherwise resiliently shaped to impart flexibility thereto as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Thus, it will be seen that when stress is imposed upon the temple members 20 such as by spreading them beyond their normal flexing capacity the arms l8 and end portions 19 will be made to pivot on pin 23, the pin functioning as a fulcrum to resiliently assist the temple members 26 to resist the strain. This'pivoting action will result in the arms l8 being bent rearwardly, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 5, within limits as governed by the clearances in the shelf 22 around the pin 23.

It is to be understood that although the foregoing description and the drawing refer particularly to a lens supporting structure or frame of the full rim type, whereby the peripheries of the lenses are completely enclosed by the supporting structure, it is possible to adapt the invention to a great variety of types such as the semior half-frame type. In the half-frame type the ends of the rims may be secured directly to the lenses if desired by straps or other suitable means, and the present invention may easily be incorporated in this construction.

It will be apparent that many other changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A lens supporting structure for the lenses of an ophthalmic mounting, said structure comprising a bridge, lens holding means to which the lenses are to be assembled, said lens holding means embodying a portion secured to the supporting structure adjacent the bridge, and a pair of outwardly extending bar-like temple supporting members each having one end fixedly secured to the supporting structure adjacent the bridge and following rearwardly and in spaced relation with the periphery of a respective lens when assembled therewith to adjacent the temporal side thereof and then turning rearwardly and terminating in temple hinge means, said lens holding means each embodying a rearwardly extending lug portion in the temporal region to which an adjacent portion of said temple supporting members is connected by means of a vertically disposed pin carried by one of said portions and seated in an opening formed in the other portion, said opening being of a diameter greater than the diameter of the pin, and with the part of the temple supporting member intermediate said temporal connection and its fixed connection adjacent the bridge being sufficiently flexible to permit the pin to turn in said opening in response to outward strain exerted on the temple hinge means of said supporting member during the use of the structure.

2. An ophthalmic mounting comprising a bridge, a pair of lens rims on its opposed sides having lenses therewith, a pair of outwardly extending bar-like temple supporting members each having one end fixedly secured adjacent'the bridge and following rearwardly and in spaced relation the periphery of a respective rim to adjacent the temporal side thereof and then turning rearwardly and terminating in temple hinge means, and a perforated lug extending rearwardly from the temporal region of each of said rims to which an adjacent portion of a respective temple supporting member is connected by means of a vertically disposed pin fixed thereto and extend ing into the apertured portion of said lug, said apertured portion of the lugs each being of a diameter greater than the diameter of the respective pins and the part of the temple support-- ing members intermediate its pin and connection adjacent the bridge being of sufficiently smaller cross-section than the temporal part of said temple supporting members as to permit said temple supporting member to flex with said pin as a fulcrum for said flexing action in response to outward strain exerted on the temple hinge means during the use of the mounting.

. 3. A lens supporting structure for the lenses of an ophthalmic mounting, said structure comprising a bridge having lens rims on its opposed sides with which the lenses are to be assembled, and a pair of outwardly extending bar-like temple supporting members each having one end fixedly secured adjacent the bridge and following rearwardly and in spaced relation the periphery of a respective rim to adjacent the temporal side thereof and then turning rearwardly and terminating in temple hinge means, said rims each having a rearwardly extending lug portion in the temporal region thereof to which an adjacent portion of said temple supporting members is connected by means of a vertically disposed pin carried by said members and extending into an opening formed in the lug portion, said opening being of a diameter greater than the diameter of the pin, and with the part of the temple supporting member intermediate said temporal connection and its fixed connection adjacent the bridge being of oval shape in cross-section, its least dimension being in a plane disposed normal to the axis of said pin to permit said part to flex with the pin as a pivot, the part of said supporting members carrying the pin and turning rearwardly being of relatively circular cross-section so as 5 to be retained to a fixed shape, said intermediate flexible portion responding to outward strain exerted on the temple hinge means during use of the structure.

' EDWARD M. SPLAINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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